Sally and Tom at the Castillo

The Castillo Theatre opens Black History Month with Sally and Tom: The American Way

There are different points of view as to whether Thomas Jeffersonactually had a love affair with his slave Sally Hemmings. Many books have been written on the subjectdebating the pros and cons of the matter. Descendants of Hemmings have claimed that two of Sally Hemming’s children, Eston and Madison, orallystated that Thomas Jefferson was their father. Thus, their paternity byThomas Jefferson has been widely supported and believed by Hemmings side of thefamily.DNA testing via the male-line,indicates a genetic link between the Jefferson line and Hemming genetic line,indicating that an individual with the Jefferson Y chromosome fathered EstonHemmings.Although there were 25 adultmale Jeffersons who carried the chromosome at the time, it’s assumed the mostlogic conclusion is that Thomas Jefferson fathered Eston Hemming for sure andtherefore it’s supposed he fathered his other children by Sally Hemmings.

As part of Black History month, theCastillo Theatre, located at 543 West 42nd Street in Manhattan, hasbrought to the stage their musical portrayal of “Sally and Tom: The AmericanWay” via Fred Newman’s book version and lyrics.Presented in a rather unique theatrical setting the production is kept movingliterally.Starring Ava Jenkins as SallyHemming; Adam Kemmerer as Thomas Jefferson, Sean Patrick Gibbons as antagonistJames T, Callender, and Brian D. Hicks as Madison Hemmings.Both David Nackman and Miss Jacqueline Salit portrayJames Madison.The production runs untilMarch 25th.

While the play portrays Jefferson asa rather complicated man, it covers his hypocritical and rather cowardlyside.Reported as being opposed toslavery and even having stated he found the institution of slavery anabominable crime, Jefferson himself held slaves on his Monticello plantation inVirginia. Although it was not uncommon for the rich aristocracy to rape andforce female slaves into sexual relationships as Jefferson did to Sally inParis when she was 17 years old, it was one of those well kept private secretsnever mentioned publicly.In fact, it wasconsidered bad form to talk about what even the slave master’s white wives, whowhile averting their eyes to the truth, could evidence given the numerous slavechildren who resembled their husbands. That is why when Jefferson’s politicalopponent and journalist James T. Callender wrote an article claiming Sally wasJefferson’s concubine during Jefferson’s first term as President, Jefferson gaveno response, despite widely spread publicity on the affair.

While Jefferson never freed Sally,(his daughter did) Sally repeatedly begged him to free his children.He finally freed Madison on his 21stbirthday and its rumored he eventually freed all his children. It’s reportedthat Jefferson drafted the Virginia law of 1778 prohibiting the importation ofenslaved Africans and proposed an ordinance that would ban slavery in theNorthwest territories, with the hopes of eventual emancipation.Yet, after having proposed these ordinances,Jefferson primarily remained silent; neither making further anti-slaverystatements nor taking any significant public action to change the course ofslavery. Jefferson’s contradictorynature remains a puzzle to historians.

Initially I found the first half of the production slow moving, however itpicked up considerably during the course of the show, directly challenging thehypocrisy of America itself in terms of its pretense of “equal justice andliberty for all,” when it clearly practices inequity.Songs in the musical such as “Enslaved by theColor of Our Skin,” “Rich and Poor Hypocrisy,” “The Coward’s Song,” and “TheAmerican Way,” highlight America’s hypocrisy and penchant for unequal treatmentof its non-white citizens.The song “TheBeginning of America’s Night,” focuses on White America’s fear of those ofdarker hue.Their revulsion of blackpeople and other people of color is demonstrated by their deeds, declarationsand an institutionalized hatred that continues to exist to this day, despitedenial to the contrary.Given Jefferson’santi-slavery position he would be delighted to see a black man as President andperhaps disappointed to see although President Obama expressed “change,” littlehas changed, given the unbridled hatred, disrespect, hostility, and disgustingbehavior demonstrated by many members of Jefferson’s own race toward thepresidency of Barack Obama. Jefferson would be horrified by the condition ofAmerica; its joblessness, fear mongering, wars, dismantling of citizens rights, theeconomic condition brought about by the loss of manufacturing, greed andcorruption and an educational system that ranks lower than some third worldcountries. He would be shocked by the complacency of the American people whosecomplete ambivalence and lack of self-governance has turned America into anoligarchy instead of a democracy.Jefferson would find it unimaginable that greedy corporations havebecome multi-nationalist betraying America and nationalism for the sake ofprofit.

“Sally and Tom: The American Way,” displays the inequity of early America,while reminding us that inequity still prevails.Although a hidden love affair between twopeople, Sally and Tom demonstratesthat nothing hidden remains so forever.Yet, it reminds us it’s not too late for America to learn the lessons ofits past.Go see “Sally and Tom” and let’sbegin the collective work that brings true equity and a better America infuture.